Resident urges board to end Flock camera contract, citing privacy and misidentification risks

Scott Bracken, who identified himself as a resident at 235 North Porto, told the board he opposed the village’s contract with the Flock automated license-plate-camera system and urged officials to end it and remove cameras.

Bracken said the cameras “are not only taking pictures of license plates, but they are also taking pictures of the occupants in the car, including your children and my children,” and accused the police department of misleading the public about the system’s capabilities. “They are lying,” he said. He cited a recent Rhode Island case in which a photographed driver was misidentified and sued, and he said the devices cost “about $3,500 a pop” and appear tied to an approximately “$21,000 a year” contract. He also said his December FOIA showed nine cameras installed at that time and asked the board to release records about who has accessed the data.

In addition to opposing the cameras, Bracken told trustees he supported two cannabis dispensaries on the agenda and urged the board to approve them. He contrasted regulation of marijuana with the ready availability of alcohol in the community and said concerns about dispensaries should be weighed against revenue and consistency with local policy. The board did not take formal action on the Flock contract during this meeting.